ESTHER POTASH

Olympic Steel Inc., Bedford Heights

CIO OF THE YEAR

For 15 years, Esther Potash has been keeping the computers and information infrastructure humming at Olympic Steel, but the last few years have kept Ms. Potash particularly busy.

When she took over the department in 2007, “green screens” still were a staple of division business transactions. Clunky phone systems, outdated email software, multiple conflicting business systems and other forms of outdated technology encouraged employees to get creative with system and equipment workarounds to meet the changing needs of the business and key customers, the nomination said.

Those days are gone, though, and not only are new phone and email systems working without fail, but now Olympic has a new organization-wide enterprise resource planning system that Ms. Potash implemented.

The system works across geographies to help monitor and manage product and service lines, while providing sophisticated financial controls and management decision-making capabilities. Disaster-recovery plans and sites were updated.

And it all got done without any of Olympic's facilities suffering a shutdown or facing a delay.

Ms. Potash is an Olympic veteran today, but she also brought experience with a major consulting firm and as a U.S. Navy information analyst to her job. That might explain why some who know her say she and her team of 43 IT department officials work so well. Ms. Potash has the brains to see a solution and the personality to get it implemented, they say.

“Esther has the unique ability to get the job done. When the inevitable problems arise in a software implementation, she never becomes confrontational. Rather, she analyzes the problem, determines what needs to be done to get the project back on track, and then in a pleasant, professional, but firm manner, guides the project to a successful conclusion,” the nomination said.

Not that Ms. Potash never looks up from a computer screen. At work, she finds time to mentor up-and-coming employees and, outside of the office, she donates her time and effort to organizations such as the Cleveland chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the Great Lakes Science Center and to area schools.

It's not surprising that Ms. Potash was named Woman of the Year by the Association of Women in the Metals Industries in 2005 — and even less surprising that she's on this year's list of CIO of the year finalists.

“When Olympic Steel hired Esther Potash 15 years ago, they probably suspected they were acquiring a very special, multi-faceted individual. They were right. Esther embodies many talents in one person,” the nomination said. “She possesses a keen ability to communicate complicated issues, a sincere passion for seeking and implementing optimal solutions, and the wisdom to engage disparate opinions in a collegial fashion.”

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